Denial
by Smashtastic
Summary: Set after the 3x11 Xmas episode - Paige and Walter are in denial. Will they ever get to a place where they can be honest about their own feelings and their feelings for each other, and if they do will it be too late?
1. Chapter 1

**Add me to the growing list of people who feel the need to write a fic following the 3x11 episode! I'm frustrated with how the writers have decided to keep Paige and Tim together, but I don't have any huge issues with how things have played out given the circumstances. Walter just seems to keep regressing rather than evolving and it's annoying to watch. He's basically forced Paige's hand. She gave him every opportunity at the end of s2 to ask her to stay and Walter pushed her away yet again. I can completely see things from her point of view. She got knocked back by Walter one too many times and tried to move on. Unfortunately, it's not easy to move on when you're still in love with the person you're trying to move on from, even if you're in denial about it ...**

* * *

"Tim, I'm sorry, I'm just not sure this is working."

"Paige, look, I know it's _difficult_ me being here, but like we said before it's only for 7 months more, and I should be able to make a trip back in a couple months."

"I know that. It's _just_ ... Tim you're a great guy. Kind, brave, loyal ... and someone one day is going to make you a wonderful wife. I, I just don't think that person is me."

"Paige, listen to me. You're just saying this because we're apart right now, and that naturally makes it tough on anyone. We knew this wouldn't be easy."

"Tim it's not that. I mean, it is that in a way. I, I just want to be honest with you. I do care about you so much Tim, and ... I do love you. It's just that, I'm not sure it's the type of love you need. The truth is, I just don't think I'm ever going to be in love with you. I'm so sorry Tim."

Her voice was trembling and tears were filling her eyes. She'd had sleepless nights for days, weeks, wondering if she was making the right decision. Everything she had just said was the truth. She did love Tim, and she had no doubt that she could be happy with him, or at least content. And he'd be a great stepdad to Ralph. Sure, he wasn't a genius, but Ralph had grown to really care about him and admire him in the last couple of months. But her heart couldn't lie, and deep down she knew that the spark, the butterflies ... that feeling of being head over heels in love with someone, they just weren't there. The way she'd once felt about Drew, and more recently about ... well it didn't matter anymore. This really wasn't about anyone else, it was about not lying to herself anymore, or Tim. It was bad enough that she was forced to have this conversation via Skype.

"Tim, I'm so sorry. The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but I, I don't want us to get so far into this that it all becomes too painful."

She saw Tim shake his head, but he hadn't yet said anything.

"Tim? ..."

"It's okay Paige" he eventually managed with a rueful smile of resignation. "I may not be Toby, but it doesn't take a genius behaviourist to work out that your heart was never really in this relationship Paige. I guess I ... I guess I was just kidding myself that one day you would feel those things for me that I feel for you."

"Tim" She was weeping now. She knew she didn't have any right to, this was her choice after all, but the thought of her hurting a good man like Tim was painful.

"Paige, honestly, I'll be okay. I know your intentions were honest. And like you say, better now than 6 months down the line. I'm, I'm glad you've been honest with me. ... although maybe you're still not being entirely honest with yourself?"

"I, I don't know what you mean?"

"Paige. I think we both know where your true feelings lie. You don't think I couldn't see the way you look at Walter? You don't even realise you are doing it you know. And, well maybe it was wrong of me to pursue things with you knowing that, and I'm sorry."

"Tim" said Paige, suddenly feeling a sense of panic she couldn't explain overwhelm her. "This isn't about Walter, I promise you."

"Paige, listen to me. I care about you. You're an amazing woman you know. The way you've cared for Ralph through all these years, putting him above everything else, including your own happiness. It's so admirable. And I think maybe that's why you craved the 'normal' relationship. A normal guy who can give you that security, the thing is, maybe you had all of that already. Scorpion, it's your family. Walter was right. I never would have been a true member of Team Scorpion. But you are Paige. You're not so different from those misfits you know."

"Tim, I'm not sure what you're trying to say to me."

"What I'm trying to say is, maybe you've already found your purpose, everything you need in your life Paige, with Scorpion. They're your security, your family. And if that's the case, don't fight it."

Paige could only smile as she sadly shook her head. "It's more complicated than that Tim, but thank you for saying it."

"You're welcome. Look Paige, I'm sorry, but I'm going to need some time to digest all of this this. Shall we speak properly next week?"

"Yeah I'd like that."

"Okay, well take care ."

"Night Tim. And thank you for being so understanding."

She slowly closed the laptop before burying her face in her hands, trying to suppress her sobs. Everything was such mess.

"Mom? Is everything okay? Is, is Tim okay?"

"Oh, yes sweetheart!" Paige said, furiously wiping her eyes and smiling at her son, who'd just appeared by the sofa, beckoning him over to her. "Tim's fine he's just fine."

"You're upset" Ralph added dubiously, as Paige ran her fingers through his hair in that way of hers that was more to comfort herself than Ralph.

"No I'm fine Ralph"

"Walter says that when he's not fine"

"Well I am fine. I'm just ... Ralphy, we're okay aren't we, just the 2 of us? You know I'll always be here for you don't you?"

"I know mom"

"I love you so much sweetheart" she added, before giving him a tender kiss on his forehead. "Now, go on then, back to bed you! And no computer games!"

"Goodnight mom, I love you too" Ralph said as he made his way back to his bedroom, leaving Paige alone on the sofa.

She thought back to what Tim had just said. He was wrong. Her and Walter, anything they once had, whatever hopes she once had for them ... well he'd made it very clear to her in so many ways that he could never be that person. She'd thought he could. She'd hoped he would be. But it was all a delusion. She remembered how her heart skipped a beat when she thought Walter was going to ask her to Tahoe with him, and then he had shut down once again. And not only that, he'd pushed her towards Tim only to then try and sabotage her. First her mom, and then Drew ... and now Walter. She couldn't cope with the pain of one more person she loved pushing her away. The day it became clear to her Drew was never coming back she'd sworn to herself she'd never again let herself be so vulnerable. Especially with Ralph to think of. And yet she still had when it came to Walter. When she'd heard him tell her "I love you" in the rocket, she'd allowed herself to dream about the possibility of her family of two expanding again, but that's all it had ever been, a dream. Toby had been right. She needed to leave Walter be. He didn't even remember his hallucination, and the truth was, in reality he'd have never said those three words to her in person, and chances are he never would. It was best this way, for both of them. Maybe one day she'd find someone she could love the way she had loved before, and she hoped Walter would one day find that someone who he never had to question his love for. She wanted him to be happy. And her life wasn't so bad. Ralph had grown so much since her Scorpion family had allowed them into their lives, and he was happy! And seeing her son happy, that's all that really mattered. Her and Walter, well some things just weren't meant to be.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi guys, I hope you're enjoying the story. It's not going to be too long, and I have the story all mapped out. Your reviews would be much appreciated thanks. Makes it all worthwhile! :)**

* * *

"Finished! Good work buddy. You'll be teaching me soon!"

Ralph and Walter were working away together in the garage. Richard Elia had asked Walter to help him with an aerodynamics issue he was having with the development of a new supercar and Ralph had proven himself to be quite the engineer. It was a Sunday and Paige had dropped Ralph off that morning with a promise to pick him up early evening, and as Walter looked at the clock he realized she'd be arriving any minute. Things had been strained between them the past few months and as much as it was still painful for Walter to have lost that connection he used to have with Paige, he was grateful she had never once let it affect his relationship with Ralph.

"Okay, well your mom's going to be here any minute, so how about you go and wash your hands and pack your bag up ... maybe she'll take you to Kovelskys for dinner. You have to celebrate completing our project right?"

"Yeah maybe" Ralph replied. "But, I don't know if mom will want to. She's, she's not been herself recently."

"Well" Walter said "Tim's away and I'm sure she's sad that she doesn't get to see him as much as she'd like."

"Mom's not with Tim anymore" said Ralph, matter of factly.

"What?!" Walter spluttered, unable to hide his surprise. "Since when?" he asked, his heart racing a little.

"Ummm, about 6 weeks."

Walter's brain was in overload. She hadn't been with Tim for 6 weeks but had said nothing to him! Then again, if the distance and time away from each other had caused Paige and Tim to breakup then she would have every reason to be angry with him, not to want to talk to him, and especially not to talk to him about Tim. But then when he thought about it, Paige never really had been that angry with him, and certainly not recently. There was an awkward frosty tension between them the first few weeks after Tim had left for sure, and Paige had kept a very professional distance, which in turn had led to Walter actively avoiding Paige unless he absolutely had to speak to her, but those really tension filled days were short lived. Since then, if he was being honest, it was he who had been making things more difficult between them than they needed to be, whilst Paige had been making efforts to engage in conversation that wasn't work related, like they used to. Walter, however, had given her short shrift. He didn't know why. Actually, that was a lie. He did know why. He was still struggling to deal with the fact that Paige was with Tim, and he wasn't immune to the knowledge that he wasn't handling that well, and certainly not maturely. In fact, come to think of it, he'd downright been an ass to her for the last few months, and this sudden revelation made him cringe inwardly in shame. The irony also wasn't lost on him. Toby had warned him Paige would be angry at him for driving Tim away, yet it was he who had been angry at her for choosing Tim in the first place, even though it was at his own instigation. He made a mental note to stop listening to Toby from now on!

Now that he thought about it, Ralph was right. Paige had seemed sad recently. Was that because of her break-up with Tim, or because of the way he had been treating her? Both probably. Why hadn't he picked up on it before?! He cursed himself for his lack of attention, but he'd been so consumed with his own feelings that it never occurred to him that someone else might be suffering too. He supposed this is what Toby meant when he called Walter out so frequently for bring egocentric. Numerous times recently the rest of the team had asked Paige if she wanted to join them at Kovelskys or the like and she'd rarely said yes. She always used to. In fact she was the one who usually organised these things. Before Paige the team rarely did things together. They really hadn't been a true family until she and Ralph had come into their lives. And now the team was broken, and he was a major reason for it.

Walter was toying with the idea of asking Ralph a few more probing questions about the breakup with when the sound of the garage door opening ended that possibility.

"Hey guys" said Paige as she appeared 30 seconds later at the back of the garage, where Walter and Ralph been working. "Did you have a good day Ralphy?"

"Yeah, and guess what mom, Walter and I solved Mr Elia's aerodynamic's problem!" he said excitedly.

"I can see that" Paige laughed, looking at her son, his hands and face covered in car grease. "Why don't you go and get yourself cleaned up before we leave."

"Walter already told me too" Ralph moaned, before he trudged off to the sink, leaving Walter and Paige standing awkwardly alone.

"Well he looks like he had a good time" Paige smiled. "Thanks for having him the entire day. You know if he gets too much you can just let me know. I'm sure there are other projects you have to be working on and Ralph, well he still doesn't get that he can't monopolise all your spare time."

"No, it's fine" said Walter quickly. "I love spending time with Ralph, you know that." He'd resisted the urge to say "I love spending time with the two of you", however much he'd wanted to.

"I know that Walter." She smiled at him sadly; that same sad look he'd been stubbornly blind too until Ralph had just mentioned it. "Well I'll see you tomorrow" she added, as her eyes locked onto her son making his way back towards them. "You ready to go Ralphy? How about we go celebrate your aerodynamic victory at Kovelskys? We haven't been there for a while?"

"Yes please! Can Walter come too mom? He was my partner afterall."

"Sweetheart, you've just spent all day with Walter, and he was just telling me how he had a few other things he needed to take care of before tomorrow.

It pained Walter to know know that Paige's lie was her trying to spare him the awkwardness of having to turn Ralph down, because in her mind, if he could barely even talk to her in the garage about work, he wouldn't want to spend an evening with her talking about non-work things ... about her life. He was desperate to accept, to make it clear that spending an evening with Paige was all he ever thought about most nights, but to suddenly accept would no doubt confuse Paige given his recent behaviour, and right now he just needed to get things straight in his own head.

"Your mom's right buddy" Walter smiled. "Next time though, okay? Have a good night ... Bye Paige" he added, trying give her a reassuring smile.

"Have a good night Walter" Paige smiled back, as she led Ralph out of the garage, leaving him alone once again. His heart was racing, and he wasn't sure entirely what to do. He needed answers that's for sure, and he needed them quick. He grabbed his phone, and began to dial one of his contacts, cursing himself for doing the thing that just a minute or so earlier he'd told himself he never would again.

"Toby, it Walter. We need to talk ... yes now. It's urgent."

* * *

"So let me get this straight, Paige broke up with Timothy 6 weeks ago?! Are you sure?!" Toby added dubiously.

"Yes of course I am Toby" Walter snapped. "Ralph wouldn't lie about that. You're only disconcerted because you didn't figure it out yourself."

"Well what can I say. It isn't often Doctor Tobias Curtis gets played! I even asked Paige about Timothy a few days, that little fibber. Our waitress clearly doesn't want us to know, but the real question here is why?"

"Well maybe she's embarrassed to tell us. Maybe if Tim ended the relationship ..."

"No, it was Paige who ditched our muscly ex-Marine " Toby interrupted.

"How do you know that?"

"Well think about it. This happened 6 weeks ago right?"

"Yes, and?"

"Well for the last 6 weeks the only person I can recall giving anyone the cold shoulder is you Mr 197. Avoiding Paige at all costs. I mean, I think if Mark Collin had walked into the garage you'd have given him a warmer welcome than you've afforded Paige."

"Toby this isn't helping" Walter snapped. "Just get to the point."

"Well what I'm trying to say is, if Tim had dumped Paige, then you'd be getting the brunt of Paige's anger right now Walter, and you're not, which must mean she did the ditching, which leads me to the conclusion that she doesn't want us all to know because, well she doesn't want you to know Walter. Man I'm good!"

"Why wouldn't she want me to know?" Walter asked.

"I'm not giving you all the answers Walter. I think this is one you need to figure out for yourself."

"Toby!"

"I mean it Walter. You still love Paige right?"

"Well, umm, I"

"It was a rhetorical question Walter. Of course you still love her. Now pull your huge ego out of your ass and think about why Paige is avoiding telling you? I'll check in again with you tomorrow!"

"Toby, are you kidding me here?! I called you to get some answers and you're leaving me with more questions. You're usually the first to give your advice, whether welcome or not."

"Yeah well, I'm under strict orders from Happy to stop interfering, and what the missus says goes."

"Toby!" Walter exclaimed, getting ever more frustrated. "I'm not equipped for this. My low EQ means ..."

"Poppycock Walter. Your 'low EQ' is your go to excuse every time you handle your emotions badly! You know I much preferred hypoxic Walter I tell you!"

"Wait, what's that supposed to mean? ... Toby?"

"Nothing" Toby blurted out quickly, realising he'd probably said too much already. "Look I have to go Walter, but we'll talk tomorrow. Deal?"

"Deal" Walter grumbled. He watched as Toby scurried out of the garage, and couldn't help but latch onto his comment about his trip to space. I mean, he assumed that's what he was talking about. Had something happened in that rocket that he didn't know about? There was only one way to find out ..."


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi, I'm sure a lot of you are still depressed about the current Wiage situation on the show, but after last night's episode I do feel more positive. I do think they showrunners have a plan even if their execution could be better lol! Anyway, in the meantime I hope you continue to read and enjoy this story!**

* * *

"I love you too Walter."

"I love you too Walter."

"I love you too Walter."

"I love you too Walter."

"I love you too Walter."

He'd lost count of the number of times he had replayed the video, and those words specifically. He had been going back to them for the last few hours, unable to focus on anything else. After Tim had left the garage the night before Walter's suspicions had gotten the better of him, and he'd hacked Elia's rocket research database, and located the video of his disastrous trip to space.

He was wondering what all the fuss was about until the moment he opened that hatch. It took him a few moments to realise the person he was imagining emerging from it was Paige, and when that realisation hit his demeanour soon changed to mortified. The dancing, and oh my god, kissing her, but not really her ... kissing his own hand! His only comfort was that the only voices he could hear were those of Toby, Sly and Elia, so Paige hadn't been a witness to it. But then, the situation had obviously gotten critical as he was drifting into unconsciousness. And it was then that his mortification turned to shock ... Paige was there, and not just in his imagination. In his reality, and she was talking to him, just her.

His mind was in overdrive as he watched the scene play out, as he told Paige he loved her, that he wasn't yet the man he needed to be for her, and then ... she said it back! "I love you too Walter." She was trying to get him to pull the lever he knew that, to save his life, and she'd say anything to achieve that aim, but just those 4 words coming from her lips hit him hard, like nothing else. He didn't want to believe it, give himself any hope, but what if there was a chance she'd meant it?

"I love you too Walter, and we can be together. You just have to pull that lever, and it'll be just you and me ... and we'll be together, forever."

No it was impossible. She clearly didn't mean it. If she had then why hadn't she said anything to him. She was still with Tim wasn't she? He shook his head furiously, as if doing so could somehow shake all these thoughts from his head. But it wasn't working. He thought back to that day. Waking up in the hospital, severely bruised and with numerous crack ribs. Paige was by his bedside when he'd woken, even though she was with Tim, and in the days after she'd been ever-present in the garage, tending to his injuries. He'd grumbled to the team that he didn't want or need the attention, but he secretly craved the additional time he'd gotten to spend with Paige. Maybe she just felt sorry for him. He recalled her asking him about what he remembered from his time in the rocket. Was she worried he would remember and destabilise her new relationship with Tim, or was it more than that? Toby had arrived at that moment, and since then, well she'd backed off a bit. Had Toby said something to her?

"Toby!" he groaned loudly in frustration.

"What's he done this time?!"

He jumped in surprise at the voice behind him, and slammed his laptop shut before spinning round to see Paige hovering by the door of the loft.

"Sorry Walter. I didn't mean to disturb you, we were calling your name. Cabe's arrived, we have an urgent case. Ummm, is everything okay? You look like you've seen a ghost. What were you looking at?" she added suspiciously, her eyes fixing onto the laptop Walter had so abruptly slammed shut.

"Oh ummm nothing, it's nothing. I'm coming" Walter mumbled, before hurriedly following Paige back down the stairs.

* * *

"You okay Dineen?" Happy asked, as they drove silently towards the Hillstone Inc. chemical factory. They'd been called for to give their urgent assistance with a malfunction at the factory that had led to the lockdown system trapping some of the workers, and with temperatures rising in the core processing unit, there was a danger of explosions. Paige had decided to drive in her car so she could head off afterwards to pick Ralph up from school and Happy had hopped in with her.

"I wanted some peace from Toby and his incessant Toby-ness but some words would be nice." They'd been driving a good 10 minutes and to Happy's surprise Paige hadn't yet uttered a word.

Paige laughed quietly. "Sorry Happy, I'm fine. I've just got some things on my mind that's all."

"Spill."

"Happy the last thing you want is to listen to my tales of woe believe me."

"Look, I'm not one for the heart to hearts you know that. I don't make friends easily, but I consider you a good friend Paige, there I said it, and if there's anything you need to talk about, well, you can speak to me. I can't promise my advice is going to be anything other than a blunt kick up the backside though."

"Well when you put it like that!" Paige laughed. "It's nothing really. It's just ... I've just been thinking about how different things might be now if they'd played out another way a few months back. Do you ever wish you could go back?"

"I spent my whole life wishing things could have been different, and look where that got me, nowhere. Just years of repressed anger and isolation. I'm starting to see that all that really matters is what you do going forward ... is this about Tim?"

"What? Ummm no, not really. Well kind of. It's well, more about Walter ... I miss our friendship that's all."

Paige immediately looked straight ahead, embarrassed by her sudden desire to open her heart, and to Happy of all people, but she needed to talk to someone.

"He's just, well such an important person in my life" she continued, "and not just Ralph's, and recently, well ... ugh it doesn't matter, nevermind. We've got to concentrate on this case, forget I said anything."

"Well it clearly does matter because you're meant to be the happy one Dineen and yet you've been moping around the garage for weeks and Walter is doing that thing he does when he doesn't know how to handle his emotions ... acting like a jerk, and the two of those things combined, I gotta tell you, are NOT GOOD!"

Paige couldn't help but smile. "Oh well, if they're not good I'm definitely in trouble!"

"Look Dineen. Here's what I think. And none of this Toby psycho-babble. He always over complicates things! The way I see it it's pretty simple. Walter loves you but he's an idiot who doesn't know how to act on those emotions, and you love Walter, but you refuse to admit it to yourself because you're scared to take a chance on said idiot who won't act on his emotions. I get it Paige. We're not so different you know. We've both been abandoned our entire lives by the people we love. We just dealt with it differently. I closed off from people completely because I thought that way no one could hurt me, and you, well you overcompensated by picking the nice guy who will look after you and keep you safe, even if you don't love him. But here's the thing, however idiotic Walter is being, and however much you feel he's driven you away, intentionally or not, I don't know anyone who would do more to keep you safe than him. But you're never going to get there until you're just honest with each other ... Am I close?"

"Happy I, I don't think ..." Paige was scrambling around for the right response, but was failing miserably. "I, I just can't deal with this now" she protested. "Whatever there was between Walter and me, it's in the past. It's better for both of us if we just move forward ... as friends."

"Okay" Happy muttered. "I guess I just never had you down for being a coward, that's all." She let her words linger, knowing that Paige would react.

"It's not about being a coward Happy" Paige snapped. "It's self-preservation. I can't take the risk of being with someone who won't ever take a chance on me."

"So instead you'd rather be with someone you don't even love?"

"This isn't about Tim Happy" Paige retorted angrily. "Oh look, we're here" said Paige with relief, as she screeched into the carpark of the factory, shutting down the engine and making a hasty exit, leaving Happy alone in the car. At that moment Happy received a text from Toby, and she couldn't help but smile as she read his words.

Paige couldn't get out of the car quick enough. In future I suggest you leave it to the experts my love ;) x

She quickly typed backed the only 2 words that made any sense right now.

"Not good!"


End file.
